Where are all the cigar box banjos?

As I was compiling the Cigar Box Nation newsletter this week, I noticed that the gas can banjo above by OneSixTwoCBGs was the top photo of the week.  It's a beauty and sports the traditional 5 string banjo neck.

Then I discovered Marvin Walker's cigar box banjo video (another top pick of the week)...and I asked myself, Where are all the cigar box banjos in this movement?

Some history:  The earliest set of cigar box instrument plans were by Daniel Carter Beard, the founder of The Boy Scouts.  These plans were part of a magazine article, "Christmas with Uncle Enos" and were first published in the 1880's. 

These plans were for a traditional fretless 5-string banjo based on an instrument built by Beard's family slave, Uncle Enos. 

Download the original Uncle Enos Cigar Box Banjo plans here.

There are many examples of turn-of-the-Century cigar box banjos collected in the book, Musical Instruments of the Southern Appalachian Mountains as well. History is spotted with these instruments.  So why aren't they more prominant?

Today's Cigar Box Guitar Movement and beyond:  The modern cigar box guitar movement started with predominantly blues-oriented performers and fans.  This lead to a proliferation of slide-style cigar box guitars and a definite blues-leaning sound.  It's understandable why there weren't many five string banjo necks attached to the cigar box instruments coming out in the first ten years.

I get it.

However, we are starting to see the bluegrass and old time music guys catching on to the almighty cigar box.  Acts such as Spence's Rye are using traditional banjo clawhammer techniques in their playing. 

It's only time until we see a wider audience with cigar box guitars in the banjo crowd. 

So...who out there is making and playing five-string cigar box banjos???

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Comment by Marvin walker on August 8, 2015 at 2:50pm

When I got home from work yesterday, I checked my email and saw that my video had made the newsletter.... I was stoked and honored! I was inspired to build my first cbb when I heard Bear's (Todd Treadaway) songs on Banjo Hangout. I fell in love with the sound and ordered his Cigar Box Banjo CD. It is one of my favorite CD's. Todd is a talented builder and musician. All the necks that I have built for my CBB's have been made from discarded furniture legs and arms' and the additional neck wood has come from my "scrap" pile of wood left over from previous "normal" banjo builds.

Comment by Jamie MacBlues on August 8, 2015 at 11:03am
Bear, am gonna download album tomorrow, on my laptop(most times I'm on net on my mobile) Really neat playing from track samples I heard :)
Comment by Spence's Rye on August 8, 2015 at 5:47am

Thanks for the mention of Spence's Rye, greatly appreciated!  Great stuff, and I find myself consumed with this topic, being how other homemade musical instruments fall into the timeline of the development of the CBG.  Great to see all the other folks involved!

Comment by Bear on August 8, 2015 at 5:07am

Oh, yeah! Anthony's a great builder & player.

I just got an e-mail from CDBaby telling me a bunch of people have downloaded Cigar Box Banjo. Thanks, Shane!

Comment by Jamie MacBlues on August 8, 2015 at 2:58am

In running for Best cb banjo builder on Nation, but I'm biased, as he built mine. Frail on, Anthony :)

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/cigar-box-banjo-i-hear-them

Comment by Jamie MacBlues on August 8, 2015 at 2:44am
Comment by gary herget on August 7, 2015 at 3:15pm

The young lady Egptpunk documented the build of her gas can banjo built throughout this past winter. She did a great job and it sounds great. I think a sample of her playing is on Scott W.'s page. (dad)

Comment by Cigar Box Nation on August 7, 2015 at 9:56am

Bear,

I just shared your album on the Nation page at Facebook...and in a few other FB groups as well.  THIS ALBUM IS AWESOME!!!

Comment by Bear on August 7, 2015 at 8:20am

Thanks for the nod, Silent Jim!

Good to see Marvin Walker highlighted here. His CBB's are fantastic!

Making a 5-string banjo neck for a cigar box doesn't have to be any more difficult than a CBG. The main thing to remember is that the lie of the 3rd string is your basic center line for the neck, but not for the headstock which centers on only 4 of the strings. It becomes a little tricky if you want to install a truss rod, or make a laminated neck, which involve a second, skewed center line, but I avoid all that with one-piece necks, sans truss rods, and just keep the headstock parallel.

FWIW, my little homebrew cd, Cigar Box Banjo, is a free download here. A physical cd costs ten bucks from CDBaby, but if you contact me, I'll send you one fer nuttin'!

Comment by onesixtwocbgs on August 6, 2015 at 8:38pm
I've been asked many times (as I'm sure we all have) if the instruments I build are banjos. I've done a few other gas can builds (3 and 4 string fretted, and dulcimer styles) and the cans have a unique "banjo-esque" sound anyway so when I was approached to build an actual 5 string neck, I accepted the task and I'm glad I did. I now need to build one for myself!

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